County officials are concerned about safety and road maintenance with the expansion of a gravel pit operation this spring.
APAC, which currently has a gravel pit on Mollett Road, will increase its loads this spring with more trucks traveling along Yazoo County roads.
Jack Willingham, emergency management director, had a safety meeting with APAC officials, reporting to the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors that the expansion could lead to problems if not addressed.
“There is a huge operation out there,” Willingham said. “Beginning in March or April, there will be up to 40 trucks with up to three loads a day up and down Mollett Road. I don’t know if you understand what kind of problem that is going to create.”
Willingham said he is also concerned about gravel trucks entering on Highway 16 from Mollett Road.
“You have a blind spot where they come out on the highway,” he said. “You are going to have dead people everywhere. It’s as blind as it can be.”
Willingham said deputies will also be needed to control speeding on those roads. He said APAC can control speeding within the gravel pit itself. But once those drivers leave the site, APAC has no control over it.
Supervisor Van Foster said he has had complaints from residents within his district about gravel truck drivers speeding so he understands Willingham’s concerns.
“The more loads they make, they more money they make,” Foster said. “Law enforcement can’t just sit there to write tickets. But the drivers treat it like a race track.”
Supervisors are also concerned about the amount of damage done to county roads by the gravel trucks.
“They are tearing up county roads, and we are not getting a dime from it,” Foster said.
Jay Barbour, board attorney, said the contract between APAC and the county does address road maintenance. The contract was established in December of 2016 and is valid until January of 2027.
“They give us 2,600 tons of hot asphalt to be used for overlay of Mollett Road,” Barbour said. “That was on the front end. Then, they give us up to 100 tons of hot mix every year to maintain damage done to Mollett Road as needed.”
Jim Warrington, road manager, said Mollett Road is in good shape now. But he said 100 tons of asphalt from APAC will not go far.
“I hate to pave this road tomorrow, and come March, they rip this road all to pieces,” Warrington said. “Then they only give us 100 tons to fix it. A hundred tons is only five truck loads.”
County leaders said they would continue communication with APAC to ensure a smooth transition with the approaching expansion.
